Tremolo device for accordions



Jan. 4, 1949. w. GERBER y 2,457,885

TREMoLo DEVICE FOR AccoRDoNs Filed Deo. 1s, '1945 Patented .an. v4, 1949 Tnmomnmcn Foa-:acconmowsf wauwomnrammnumnn, smnmaf applicati@ December. 1a, 1945, swamp. 635,680:

In switzerland January trims 7 (ci. sli- 376) This invention relates toracco'rdionss 'andis specifically directed to me-ansincorporated in which are adapted tos'hak'e "theton'esr'pro duced by vthese instruments.

It is an object of `the invention'to'provide'in an accordion,` preferably 'on' its so-called'melody side, between the bellowsy and-thesoimdingfsec'- tion an intermediate partition havin'gat least one aperture wherein is disposed a vibrator' member which is adapted to 4be swung aboutitsn'ormal position or position of rest by the Vflow of air passing through said'aperture; Wherebytlie tones produced by means yof said accordion willl be sliakenbyth'e v'action of` said swinging Vibrator member.

Another object of the Ainvention'is toprovfd'e 1n said 'partition a second aperture' forJthe-a'diii; tional fiowof air and a movable meinber'infcooperation with said aperture 'for controllinggthe flow kof air therethrough, said `member beingv adapted'to close said aperture.

A further object of the inventionisxto provide means for immobilizing said vibrator memberJs long as said second aperture isopen, softhatth'e tones produced will not be shaken.`

Still anotherobject .of the invention listov pro# vide operating4 means in operabl connection with said immobiliz'ingf means and sad movablemember for manipulating the same accordinglyfom outside in order to .produce ordinary. tones or shaken tones.

i These and other objects andlgfeaitures` of the invention will appear from theJfollowingvv detailed description of oney specificv embodiment: thereof ilustrated in .the accompanying drawing@ in which: v i

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of. a-fportionof the keyboard-of an accordion -showingthef-vi brator device in operable. position.v y

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation '.similarrlto lille.4 '1f liowevcrshowing' theyibrator device in immobilized position.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of'theintermediate partition located betweenthebellows'and the sounding section of the accordion.v

Referring more particularly to the drawing, numeral i representsiafportionof-theebellows of the accordion and numeral 5 rthe reed chestf'with key-board and mechanical section onf` the'V socalled melody side of the accordion. Thebellows l and the reed chest 5 are separated by aan intermediate partition 2 havingftwo'iapertures .Sismi i for the flow of air passing therethrough into or out of the bellows l. The aperture 4 is oblong and there is disposedtherein a leaf spring 1 having-substantially. thi'evs'halp'eof the 'aperturel @ne end oftlie `leaf/"spring f'l'fis fixed on fthe' frame 8 of thefaperture Altby means or' 'screws Itira-11d the-'fotlner2 free-end carries-a1metal plate-5I The leaf 5 spring l' 'I` with l-t-hefmeta-l plate 6 constitutes the vibrator and in its normal position closes the aperture 'l-"leaving but ronly ai very-slight" space therebetween wlich allows tlieC yunhan'rpered pendulous vswingixxg movements ofthe vibrator about its normal" position across` 'aperture 4.

Gn the sounding Vor-'mechanical lsittieeof the partition @cooperatesial flap-@Withrtheother aperttire' 32 wlfiichfpfisfsecured to v-two 'arms of'a hingeipi-nllfuwliich ismounted for rotaticrnion the-partition 2f The hinge pin IUhas'b'entone end zi 2 fatrigrr't angle-for being 1turnable by means of" a manipulating "device "which will 'be described nereinafterf'iwo coil springs "I I-I i z areA arranged on the fhingeepi'n 'l'il'fand act lupon the two arms ila-9b -oft'hesameso astoclosefthe flap 8.- An arxrrL 18fof the-hinge-l pin In ".ex'tendsftowards the leaf f spring 1'-`and `carries'-a=`damper :I Il which VAwill be firmly applied against the leaf spring 12' when the flap' 9"'is moved into opened position, whereby thedam'per H'urges the vibrator 6 1 beyond t'hetnormal 'position approximately into open -position'shown in 'F1g.`2 andprevents the Avibrator theda'mper Iris 'lifted off the leafjsprin'gl'and i movedontfo'f'rangeo'f its vil'fra-tion-asy shown in Fig; '1 so'that the'vibratorcan `freely swing.

The vleveirend I`2 of the hingeY pin i0 canbe moved against the action of "the" coil springs' I I by, means of therod I5 and the leverslt'and' i8 the latterofi whichl 'is rotatable about aA fuicrum l1. I'he'manipulating y'end ofI the lever l'sfcar-A riesca knob Illia, which .penetrates through a predetermined slot .2U-"to the outside ofthe reed chest/.5K In the upper end position of the knob Zll. inthe. slot .211y as shownA in Fig.. v1, the nap 9 is .closed `and the vibratorcan freely swing ,under the. now otair passing through Athe aperture 4I In the lower` endmpositionI of the'. `knob in the slotz therleviersl urges the .leveri and the rod ltagainsttheraction -of Vthecoil springs i I--i la to the left, ,wherebeytheflap l=9 is opened -and ithe damper-Meis fappl-ied yagainstthe leaf spring 3| to immobilize-the` vibrator, 'as shown -inv Fig.v 2. Thereforewit is possible toplay;A thel accordion without actuation .ofA the vibrator.

When; whilemayingtheraccordirrg; only onen-r twokeysonthe key-.board arewpressed'downymrticularlyi'such ikeyswlrich -produceitomes fof. ja high pitch, the ow of air through the sounding unit 26 would be insuflicientA to amply actuate the Vibrator. In order to supply a supplemental flow of air, there are provided two small holes 24 in the sounding board 25 and a flap 23 mounted on a lever 22 pivotal at 2| for closing said holes 24. 'I'hs lever 22 is subjected to the closing action of a spring 21 and extends with the lever arm remote from the fiap 23 into the range of a nose 28 provided on the operating rod I5. When the rod I5 is moved to the right, while the flap 9 is closed and the damper I4 lifted olT the vibrator, the nose 28 simultaneously moves the lever 22 and flap 23 into opening position.

It is to be understood that aldesired frequency of the vibrator involves a predetermined weight of the metal plate 6 or/and a predetermined thickness of the leaf spring 1. The space between the sounding section 26 and the normal position of the vibrator plate 6 must be suiilcient to allow the vibrator to swing freely.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction Without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Let-v ters Patent, is:

1. In an accordion on the melody side thereof, an intermediate partition located between the bellows and the sounding section, two apertures in said partition for the flow of air therethrough,` a vibrator comprising a metal plate mounted on a leaf spring which is disposed in one of said apertures, said metal plate being predetermined in weight and said leaf spring being predetermined in thickness by the desirable frequency of said vibrator, a movable flap for controlling the air flow through the other aperture, operating means in operable connection withl said flap and said vibrator for opening said flap and simultaneously immobilizing said vibrator from outside, and resilient means tending to close said flap and simultaneously supersede the immobilization of said vibrator.

2. In an accordion, a partition disposed between the bellows and the sounding section and having at least one aperture for the ilow of air therethrough, and a vibrator member arranged in operative position within said aperture and adapted to vibrate about said operative position by the flow of air passing through said aperture, and damping means disposed for contact with said vibrator member and adapted to retain the latter in inoperative position at a location beyond said aperture.

3. In an accordion equipped with a bellows and a reed chest having a partition therebetween, said partition being provided with an elongated aperture, and a resilient vibrator member mounted on said partition and adapted in operative position to lie within said aperture and to pendulously oscillate through said aperture with a predetermined frequency, when air is caused to pass through said aperture in the direction from said bellows to said reed chest or vice versa.

4. In an accordion having a bellows and a reed chest; a partition arranged between said bellows and said reed chest and having two apertures, first and second, respectively, a resilient vibratory member mounted with one of its ends on said partition, the opposite end of said `member extending in normal and operative position within said first aperture and being adapted to pendulously oscillate in said operative position across said rst aperture with a predetermined frequency when air is caused to pass through said rst aperture in either direction thereof, a movable member placed over said second aperture to open and close the same, respectively, stop means connected with said movable member and adapted to immobilize said vibratory member when said movable member is in open position, and means operatively connected with said movable member and extending to a location without said accordion to permit simultaneous operation of said movable member and of said stop means.

5. In an accordion according to claim 4, in

l which said stop means is normally spaced from said vibratory member and in open position of said movable member engages said vibratory member to displace the latter beyond said flrst aperture.

6. In an accordion having a bellows and a reed chest; a partition arranged between said bellows and said reed chest and provided with two apertures,i first and second, respectively, said rst aperture being of elongated form. an elongated vibratory member resiliently mounted with one of its ends on said partition, the remainder of said vibratory member extending to said first aperture and being substantially in registry therewith in operative position of said vibratory member, said vibratory member pendulously oscillating through said iirst aperture with a predetermined frequency `when air is caused to pass through said iirst aperture in either direction thereof, a rst flap mounted for swinging movement on said partition for opening and closing said second aperture, stop means connected with said first flap and extending toward said vibratory member for engagement therewith when said iirst iiap is in open position, rod means in operative connection with said rst flap and said stop means and extending to a location outside of said accordion whereby simultaneous operation of said rst iiap and said stop means may be achieved, a passageway for air passing through said partition, and a second flap for opening and closing said passageway upon operation of said rod means, said second iiap being operatively connected to said rod means whereby said passageway is opened in closed position of said first flap in order to permit air flow of suflicient strength toward said vibratory member for obtaining the tremolo effect thereof.

7. In an accordion according to claim 6, wherein said vibrator member comprises a leaf spring and a metal plate secured to one end of said spring, the opposite end of said spring being. mounted on said partition, whereby said one endA carrying said metal plate is positioned substantially in said first aperture, said metal plate being?, predetermined in weight and said leaf spring being predetermined as to its spring action to produce a predetermined frequency of oscillation of said vibrator member.

WALTER GERBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 429,763 Kalbe June 10, 1890 437,059 Stratton Sept. 23, 1890 978,460 Leppert Dec. 13, 1910 '2,016,122 Schmidt Oct. 1, 1935 

